Bi-State Regional Commission, Illinois
With two states, five counties, and more than 44 municipalities in its jurisdiction, the Bi-State Regional Commission (BSRC) in Illinois has a complex education challenge. It became an It All Adds Up to Cleaner Air participant in 2001 and has used the initiative's resources enthusiastically to meet the challenge and strengthen its ongoing "Aware of Air" public education campaign.
While the region currently is in attainment of the national air quality standards, BSRC staff knows the area's continued growth and development could increase emissions and cause future problems. Therefore, BSRC has implemented an extensive advertising campaign using $40,000 in Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) funding, which they match with $10,000, to deliver messages on air quality and transportation choices via radio, television, print, and online media.
Far-reaching Messages Make an Impact
Throughout the commission's campaigns, it regularly has used It All Adds Up materials, including a fall broadcast advertising campaign featuring a trip-chaining television ad that ran for a month on the local NBC affiliate. The spot ran 50 times, reaching more than 142,000 metro area households, and was added to BSRC's Web site.
In the summer, BSRC aired the It All Adds Up maintenance radio spot on a local FM station 180 times, resulting in an estimated net reach of 121,300 listeners. Page views of BSRC's Web site more than doubled—from 43 in August to 141 in September and 103 in October—which they attribute to the broadcast campaign.
BSRC also ran the 30-second trip-chaining television spot 168 times in two-week intervals on the local NBC affiliate. Over the three-month schedule the ads reached 70%-80% of the targeted viewers about three to four times.
Creative Messages Engage Viewers
BSRC also has made good use of It All Adds Up print resources, including the 
"What's Your Air Quality IQ?" (PDF, 72KB) quiz and the It All Adds Up placemat (PDF, 332KB) in local newspapers' special advertising inserts. In the most recent four-page insert (PDF, 50KB) they included It At All Adds Up artwork, messages, and a print ad. After running the print materials, BSRC received a number of requests from community groups wanting presentations about air quality and transportation issues.
BSRC adapted the "Tomorrow Leave Home without It" print ad for a 6' x 12' billboard that rotates monthly among thirteen locations. BSRC has used It All Adds Up artwork and print ads to embellish its Quad Cities Ozone Flex Plan—a voluntary program for emissions reductions—and its fact sheet about the emissions reductions program.
BSRC has an active "Aware of Air" Web site, which it beefs up with an It All Adds Up online quiz, several of the print ads, and the trip-chaining television ad (see "Environment" ad). The Web site also links to the It All Adds Up download center, giving other organizations the opportunity to learn about the resources provided by the initiative.
For more information on BSRC's activities, contact Gena McCullough at (309) 793-6302, ext. 146, or gmccullough@bistateonline.org or visit BSRC's "Aware of Air" Web site.